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July 26, 2007

Toddler Sweater Update

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I started this sweater project over a year ago and it is still not finished. I finally blocked the pieces -- I doubt it was helpful when the sweater is made of synthetic yarn. One thing I noticed during the blocking process is how different the pieces looked from regular toddler patterns. There are several things I noticed that made me wonder...

The front piece has a t-shirt, boxy shape. The shoulder length looks too narrow and the front neck drop and width too big. I need to take measurements to see what toddler size this compares too.

The back piece has no curve on the back neck. It is straight. I imagine a back neck curve is difficult to achieve in a knitted sweater. I wonder if this is typical in knitted garments? I don't knit enough sweaters to know. It could account for why the front neck is so big.

The sleeve shaping seems fine, although they do bow out on the sides.

I have read books on knitwear design. One of these days I will draft my own basic knitwear design and try to knit up a sweater. In any event, all that's left on this sweater is to sew the pieces together and knit the neckband. I still haven't decided on the embellishment. Any ideas?

2 comments:

I knit and sew, and I've noticed that most flat-knit adult sweater patterns are drafted to include a back neckline curve. I'm thinking that perhaps the toddler sweater pattern was poorly drafted, with a lower front neckline to compensate for the lack of back neck curve. The back neck curve would be easy to add; it's just a matter of binding off a number of stitches at center-back (in stages, to get a nice curve) once you reach the desired rise.

The shoulder length looks fine to me; because that jumper has to pull over the child's head, the hole for the neck - which affects the shoulder width - can look odd until you get used to it. Babies don't like things to fit snugly around their necks, either.

I wouldn't worry about the back neckline curve, either; babies don't have an 'erect' posture, so a straight line across there works fine. You can do similar but flattened shaping to the front; but on a garment that small, I probably wouldn't worry.

My only concern is the armhole looks a tiny bit deep, but it should still fit ok.

About Me

I currently work in the fashion industry as a part-time pattern maker and designer and as a part-time librarian. This blog features my exploration of clothing design and other crafty pursuits including knitting, spinning, and quilting.